U.S. Department of State News: The Importance of Diversity in European Energy Security

This week’s World Gas Conference in Washington, DC, reinforced the fundamental importance of countries and regions employing a diverse matrix of fuels, source countries and delivery routes to enhance their energy security. Over the last week, U.S. officials underscored the strong U.S. opposition to Russian-led pipelines like Nord Stream 2 and the second line of TurkStream that would exacerbate Europe’s dependence on Russian-sourced energy. By contrast, the United States commends the historic progress being made on the Southern Gas Corridor in Azerbaijan and Turkey, which could bring Caspian gas from Azerbaijan to countries across Europe by 2020. We also welcome Poland’s announcement earlier this week at the Conference on signing 20-year agreements to import U.S. liquefied natural gas starting in 2022.

In addition to these exciting developments, the United States reaffirms its support for energy projects that enhance energy diversification and energy security for our allies and partners worldwide. We see great promise in the floating storage and regasification unit at Krk Island in Croatia and urge all stakeholders to work together to make it a success. In addition, Black Sea gas from Romania represents a promising yet untapped source of energy that would strengthen energy markets and energy security throughout the region. We are closely watching developments as Romania’s parliament and government work out the legislation that will establish the stable fiscal and regulatory framework required for energy companies to invest in the development of this resource. Diverse sources and delivery routes ensure that energy is available at the best price to all and that no supplier can use energy to economically or politically coerce consumers.